The Hunt for Emrys
by pandora midnight blue
Summary: A mysterious group of sorcerers have arrived in Camelot seeking Emrys.The only problem is they need him to show himself to camelot!
1. Chapter 1

Merlin: the hunt for Emrys

"Merlin" yelled Gaius "Get up now or you will be late again!"

Merlin groaned and rolled over in the bed. Willing himself to get up, he dressed quickly and made his way to Arthur's quarters. He had just reached the door when he heard a bloodcurdling scream coming from the courtyard.

He rushed to the nearest window and searched the grounds for what had caused the problem. He did not have to look far to find the problem. A dark mist was circling the castle and within seconds it had engulfed the whole of Camelot.

It blocked out the sun and left the castle in darkness. Merlin could hardly believe his eyes.

"What was this" he thought to himself," dark sorcery?"He knew one thing though, it was not good. Before he could decide what to do next a fierce voice rand out all over Camelot. The screams of the kingdom intensified and he heard the people frantically running from the noise. The voice rand off the walls and created an eerie echo.

The voice shouted "Emrys, the time has come! Leave your pitiful hiding place and join us!"At the sound of his secret name Merlin froze.

" You have been living amongst these magic haters for too long. Show yourself and reclaim your rightful place by our side as one of the sorcerers of Brega!"

"You have until midnight tomorrow to show yourself to us, if you decline our gracious offer we will be forced to take immediate action to take you by force. Anyone who tries to protest you or who gets in our way will be killed. We will be waiting Emrys!"

At the speakers last word the mist lifted and the sun's rays light up the castle once again. Merlin was still shaking with fear. He had to show himself or they would find him and kill his friends. Just then Merlin made a decision, he had to go to them, he would not see Camelot destroyed or his friends hurt.

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Well there was my first ever chapter on Fan .I tried to fix the structure,Sorry about the length the next chapter will be longer!

R&R Please!!!!!!!!!!!


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks a Million for those reviews. They were very unexpected, but nice all the same. I will try to make the chapters longer as I go on. I probably don't need to say this, as it is VERY obvious, but this is my first time writing. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, all credit to the BBC.

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The Hunt For Emrys Chapter 2

Merlin's head was spinning; he was just after learning that a group of powerful sorcerers were searching for him and to top it all off he was late for work. With all the mayhem in the courtyard he had forgotten he was to be in Arthur's chambers at dawn. "Oh Flip" Merlin cursed, he had to get to the princes chambers pronto. He snapped himself out of his fearful daze and turned and ran for the corridors that lead to the prince's room.

On the way, he noticed many of the guards and nobles whispering to each other with fearful looks on their faces. This brush with sorcery had put the whole castle on edge. When he reached the room he found Arthur waiting for him outside the door. He was pacing back and forth in front of the chamber with his eyes to the floor.

The prince was wearing his full battle gear and did not look happy. When Merlin saw him he immediately slowed to a walking pace and hide is quickened breath. "There you are Merlin! Arthur stated "I have been looking for you. What is it now, 3 times this week you have been late for work?"He said in an annoyed tone. "Sorry Sire, but it was that....mist. It took us all by surprise and I lost all sense of time" Merlin said. The look on Arthurs face made him think that he knew it was a lie. Why was it that Arthur could always tell if Merlin was lying when it came to all the unimportant things? Life can be strange in that way.

"Come on Merlin, I was summoned by my father over ten minutes ago, he will be waiting for us". Arthur said as he turned and marched at a fast pace down the corridor towards the throne room. Just when Merlin thought he might be off the hook for work today Arthur said "I will decide your chores later" without turning around. Merlin groaned, louder than he had intended. He had so much to be worrying about without the Princes petty needs to tend to as well. As Arthur turned the corner Merlin could have sworn he saw the young prince roll his eyes.

Uther's POV %%%%%%%%%

As the Prince and his manservant entered the room the soldiers stood to attention. "Arthur why do you keep me waiting? Camelot is in dire peril from these wicked sorcerers!" Uther shouted. Arthur merely glanced back at his manservant and shrugged. "What was that boys name again?" He wondered. " Marvin? , Marty? Oh what did it matter, Arthur could deal with him" .

"Silence! , we have pressing matters to discuss". He projected to the assembled lords and knights in the chamber.

Camelot has been issued a threat by a very dangerous group of ancient sorcerers called the brothers of Breca. My sources had assured me that all of the members of this group had been eradicated during the purge but I was obviously mislead in our belief. I have sent the court historians to find all relevant information on this dangerous society so that my son and I can be well informed about our enemies. At the moment all we know is that they were a group of Sorcerers who used to rule the others of their cursed evil kind. Their power was strong and they were unmerciful, bloodthirsty rulers. This is why in the early days of the purge their headquarters were attacked first. We had believed them to be eradicated. Now they have sent a plea to a sorcerer named Emrys who it seems lives within the walls of this very castle!".

At these words fearful whispers erupted throughout the hall. There was no one who did not glance over their shoulder. "It may be the case that this sorcerer is in the room right now. It would be wise for you to trust no one". After saying this Uther realised that a small whimper had come from the centre of the room, behind his son. He soon realised it came from Arthur's manservant, Marvin or was it Mike? Seeing the boys obvious distress over these dangerous sorcerer's he immedietly proclaimed to Mike: "Don't worry dear boy. We will find this evil Magic practitioner and bring him to justice before the Brothers have a chance to locate him. All the people in my kingdom will be free from the slavery of sorcerers!".

At these words a cheer rose from the crowd. Now my faithful knights and kinsmen. He glanced back at the boy to see that he had gone sickly pale in the face and was staring wide eyed at Uther's face. "What a strange cowardly child" Uther thought to himself. He must appoint a strong character to protect those who cannot protect themselves .The women the children and poor....Marvin here.

"I will entrust the responsibility of finding this sorcerer to my son Arthur". Uther proclaimed.

He then looked upon the face of his son and knew in his heart that he would be successful in his hunt for the infamous Merlin Emrys.

_That's all for now, hope to update next week. Please review (be nice)(:0) Thanks._

_P.S: Any ideas on plot lines would be good. I have a plan for a few more chapters but outside help would be great._

_Go Raibh Maith Agaibh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Thanks)_


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for all the reviews.

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, all credit to the BBC.

The hunt for Emrys chapter 3

Merlin could not believe that Uther had read his nervous shaking as a fear of sorcery rather than his fear of being exposed. Sometimes it paid that Uther wasn't very bright. As he made his way out of the assembly chamber he glanced at all the knights and nobles that had been informed about the brotherhood and Emrys. Not only did he have to evade a menacing group of sorcerers but all these people as well. Double the effort would be needed when the time came.

Merlin was strolling behind Arthur, not focusing on where he was going. He was staring at the floor deep in thought. He knew he would have to get back to Gaius soon. The old man would have more information on this brotherhood than Uther did. Hopefully they could think of something to get him out of this mess."Merlin" said Arthur, while waving a hand in front of Merlin's face. Arthur had notices the glazed look in Merlins eyes.

"What?" Merlin answered confused. "Did you hear a word I have been saying to you? What has gotten into you today?" the young prince asked.

Merlin had so many thoughts in his head right then, he even had an urge to blurt out his secret just to have someone to talk to. Suddenly he realised how stupid that plan was. Arthur could never know he was this Emrys the kingdom was looking for. He was his father's son; he obviously has such a hatred of magic because of that fact. Merlin pushed the thoughts to the back of his head when he noticed Arthur staring at him strangely.

Then Arthur did something that made him jump. He placed his hand on Merlins shoulder and looked him straight in the eye and said:

"We will find him you know. My father is right, sorcery will never hurt anyone in Camelot again" he continued. "No one will be harmed; there is no need to be worried".

Merlin's jaw dropped. "Wha....What!" exclaimed Merlin. "I'm not scared!"He blurted out with a stunned look on his face. "Where did you father and youself get that vibe from?" Merlin asked questioningly.

"Because it's not coming from me. No way am I scared. It...It....must have been the guy standing next to me he was talking about?" Merlin responded.

"Merlin" answered Arthur, "how did you just try and defend yourself with a question" he said with a grin.

"I have no idea what you are talking about. Me, I'm not scared", Merlin managed before cracking a large toothy smile for Arthur's expense. "Right, I'm sure" mumbled Arthur, as he turned around. "What I was trying to say to you during your.... daydream was that you should go to the armoury and ready my armour. I will need it before the week is out. When you're done with that I want you to muck out the stables" Arthur stated coolly before turning around and heading down a narrow corridor.

Merlin rushed to the armoury and quickly completed his tasks. He was tempted to go straight to Gaius and leave his work, but he was already late in getting to Arthurs chambers today. He didn't want to draw any more attention to himself. The whole of the morning Merlin's mind was racing.

"What am I going to do?" He thought frantically to himself. "Arthur and the King already noticed his nervousness .How long before they put two and two together?" Merlin thanked God that they had jumped to the wrong conclusion due to his fear in the meeting hall. However he realised that his time was running out. This brotherhood were probably quietly lurking in the shadows somewhere waiting for him to reveal himself to Camelot. All Merlin could do was wait and hope a solution would come to him before they decided to act.

Merlin hurried back to Gaius' quarters after he had finished in the stables. The sun was hanging low in the sky now and the whole horizon had turned a blood red colour. The clouds that had covered the heavens moments before began to disappear. Merlin stared in awe at the scene.

"This could not be natural" Merlin thought to himself. "Could it be the brotherhood?"He thought with a shudder, because it certainly wasn't him who was performing this unnatural feat. Was this their first strike or a scare tactic? He hoped it was the latter. Merlin's entire body tensed as he waited for them to strike, but after a heart stopping silence nothing happened. He let out a sigh of relief when nothing occurred. They were trying to scare him out now, and as much as he hated to admit it, it was starting to work.

He found Gaius hunched over the table in his chamber working on brewing a large batch of healing potion that Uther had ordered. He old physician was mumbling to himself as he worked. Merlin closed the door as quietly as possible when he entered but nothing got passed Gaius. His head snapped up when he heard the door and he gave Merlin a look of concern.

"Merlin, this Emrys character they are searching for, it's you isn't it?" asked Gaius softly.**

Merlin gazed at him questioningly and nodded. "How do you know about the name?"He replied frowning.

Gaius gave Merlin a smug look and stated " I have my sources, never you mind"

Merlin always guessed Gaius knew more then he let on, now he was certain. However he had no time to ponder this news. He quickly pushed the new knowledge to the back of his mind and focused on the task at hand.

"Gaius, what can I do, I have no idea how to get out of this situation. Can you help me?" pleaded Merlin

"Are the Brotherhood of Brega as evil as Uther says they are?"Asked Merlin.

"Well Merlin, I'm afraid Uther is right for once. I'm sorry but they are a group of extremely powerful Sorcerers that show no mercy to anybody, Sorcerer or non magical beings alike" explained Gaius.

Upon hearing this revelation Merlin had to struggle to keep his composure. How was he meant to evade this group? He thought frantically. Gaius noticed his young ward's struggling facade and quickly exclaimed:

"It's alright Merlin I think I know of a group who can help you"

Merlin looked up from the dusty stone floor and exclaimed "Really ,who are they?, would they be willing to help a sorcerer? Why didn't you mention this before!" Merlin barked.

"They are a group of magic users and magic who used to have authority over this area when magic was openly practiced. The brotherhood of Brega was a breakaway group of dissatisfied sorcerers who wanted to create their own ruling elite." Explained Gaius.

"Merlin?"Asked Gaius, " What did Uther say about the history of the Brotherhood?"

"Nothing really ,just that they used to rule the sorcerers before the purge and they enforced a cruel regime." explained Merlin.

"Well that's only half the story "proclaimed the old physician. "Before the brotherhood of Brega seized control of the magical world, group of nobles managed it. They were nobles with magical bloodlines who enforced a strict but fair regime. They were called the brotherhood of Brennidus. They ruled fairly and all the people of country were safe. This is the group I am talking about" explained Gaius.

" I think they can help you. The majority fled when the uprising occurred but a few brave members stayed behind to try and defeat the new powers. When they proved unsuccessful they went into hiding. No one has seen or heard of them since the purge. I don't know if they are still together but there are bound to be a few straggling members, who would willing to help you and finally defeat their greatest foe."

"Did he mention that the Brotherhood of Brega were the predominant reason for the magical purge of Camelot?"Gaius said quietly.

At this revelation Merlin gasped .An unusual rush of pure hatred for these people surged inside him. It seemed to engulf his very soul.

"These people are the reason I'm being persecuted, and they want me to join them!"Merlin yelled. His eyes glowed a deep golden colour as his anger got the better of him for a split second and all the furniture in the room levitated high into the air.

"Merlin!!!" Exclaimed Gaius. "Control yourself this instant!"

Merlin realised what he was doing and calmed himself. In a matter of seconds all the furniture in the room came crashing down with a loud thud. Gaius had to throw himself out of the way of his work desk as it came crashing down in the very spot he was standing in a moment before. The moment it hit the stone floor the legs gave way and the table top and all its contents fell to the floor, including the large vat of medicine that Gaius was currently concocting. Gaius stared at Merlin in disbelief. "What have you done Merlin!"He exclaimed. "I have never seen you lose control like that before, are you feeling alright?" asked Gaius as he went to pick up his possessions.

Merlin was shaking, he had never caused that many objects to levitate before, at least not unintentionally. "What was wrong with him?". He was feeling very cold all of a sudden. The bright red glow from the window hurt his eyes. As he thought this he started feeling light headed and very dizzy. Suddenly the light was dimming and he knew no more.

Arthurs POV%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Arthur was in the process of debriefing his men on the situation when there was a large thud followed by a smashing sound coming from the physician's quarters.

Arthur looked at his men questioningly before running to the old man's house. He barged into Gaius's chambers and was followed by a band of about 10 of his soldiers. He saw the old man just inside the doorway and he immediately questioned him on what had occurred.

"What happened Gaius ?" he asked. "We heard a loud smashing noise and thought the sorcerers were..."He was cut off mid sentence when he saw the condition of the room.

Pieces of broken wood were scattered everywhere, glass vials and dishes lay smashed on the floor. All the chairs were on their sides and the whole room was in disarray.

What startled him most was the sight of his manservant Merlin standing in front of the mess looking as pale as death and shaking violently. He saw Merlin's eyes roll in his head and watched in horror as the teenager collapsed and hit the back of his head against the rough stone floor with a bone crunching thud.

Gaius POV%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"All this pent up fear and frustration must be showing itself in a very dangerous way", concluded Gaius as he went to try and salvage what remained of his furniture. What would he say to Uther, he had the entire potion ready for him.

Oh, sometimes living with an extremely powerful teenage warlock had its drawbacks.

Gaius's attention was drawn away from trying to sort out his ruined home when he heard a loud bang. Arthur and a group of soldiers were standing at the door.

"What happened Gaius ?" asked the young prince. "We heard a loud smashing noise and thought the sorcerers were..."

Arthur never got to finish his sentence. The young prince stared it shock at the state of Gaius' home. Just as he was about to make up an excuse for the state of the room, a loud thud drew his attention to the tall thin figure who had just collapsed onto the floor.

"Merlin!" Cried Gaius as he realised that Merlin had collapsed and smashed his head on the floor. Gaius watched in horror as a pool of blood seeped from the back of Merlin's head!

Authors Note:

**: I don't remember if Gaius knew about the whole Emrys thing, I haven't seen the first series in a while. Forgive me if this is wrong.

Also could anyone tell me the name of the country Camelot is set in the series. I know in reality it's sup post to be England but do they have another name for it in the TV series. Is it Albion or something?.Please let me know.

Hope to update soon!

Thanks, Laura.

R&R ( )Please!!!!


	4. Chapter 4

Gaius' POV

Gaius stared in horror at the scene in front of him. Merlin was sprawled on the floor with a pool of darkening blood oozing from the back of his skull. His eyes were rolling in his head and he was shaking, violently. To make the sight even more frightening, his normally pale skin had turned a sickly shade of grey. Prince Arthur was standing over the frail form of Merlin looking completely shocked. He was surrounded by a group of about ten too, looked disturbed from the sight of the injured teenager.

Gaius stood staring at the horrifying scene for what felt like an eternity before his senses kicked in.

"Merlin!" he yelled while running to the side of the boy. His physician practice usually required him to remain cool and level headed but this was Merlin! "Gaius!" Arthur said in a shaky voice "What can we do?"He turned to Arthur and said" Run to that cabinet over there and bring me the vials of yellow liquid" replied Gaius, while pointing to the corner of the room. The soldiers ran to the upturned cabinet and with some effort they managed to turn it over to reveal the doors.

Gaius pushed the shards of wood away from another corner of the room and produced a wad of cloth and bandages from beneath the rubble. He quickly made his way back to Merlin's side and lifted the young warlocks head. He tried to the best of his ability to clean away all the dirt and blood from the wound, which was pretty deep. He then pressed the fabric up the wound and applied pressure to try and stem the bleeding.

"How are those vials coming Arthur?" Gaius asked, still focused on Merlin.

"Um, Gaius, we may have a problem!"Yelled Arthur.

Gaius turned around and saw what the problem was. All of the contents of the cabinet had smashed when they fell back to the ground during Merlin's fiasco earlier. The remains of the shelves were drenched in a multitude of colourful liquids.

"Oh no" exclaimed Gaius.

Without that potion the wound would not heal. Merlin would be done for. He had to think of something. He cast his mind back, grasping at straws for anything that would help.

He suddenly remembered that Merlin's spell books had contained a number of healing spells. Would he be able to use them...it had been such a long time. Deciding that was his best option he formulated a plan to get the others to leave the room.

Arthur seemed willing to do whatever it took to save Merlin so he counted that he would go and get more potion for him. Why did the prince care so much for his manservant?

This always confounded Gaius. "Arthur , would you be willing to ride to the kingdoms stores and locate the remedies I have kept there?" he asked meekly.

Arthur replied immediately: "Yes, I'll do what I can".

"Men!" Arthur announced to the soldiers currently trying to place the cabinet up against a wall, "Ride with me to the kingdoms stores, we need help for this man" Arthur ordered.

Immediately the soldiers were heading out the door and towards the stables. Arthur looked back at Merlin and asked Gaius if that was all he needed. Gaius nodded, and Arthur was gone.

When the prince left, Gaius let out a sigh of relief. That was easier than he expected. He ran to Merlin's room and shifted through Merlin's belongings to find the books. Thankfully, Merlin didn't have many possessions. Gaius frantically turned the pages until he found the spell he was looking for.

He was back to Merlin in a flash and used all his strength to say:

"_Cneasaithe!"_

Gaius waited for a few moments but nothing happened. The spell didn't work. His experience in magic wasn't strong enough.

"Plan B" Gaius thought as he searched the house for the object he was looking for. He spotted it in the far corner, underneath the remains of his work desk.

What would look like an expensive piece of jewellery to the untrained eye ,was actually much more. It could save Merlin!. It was a small, round gold object with a ruby in the centre.

When it came into his possession, the Druid who gave it to him called it a "Cloch Cumhachta" or power stone. When used correctly it transferred some of the magic of one magical being to another, be they sorcerer or otherwise.

Gaius had tracked the little piece down when he heard that Uther was searching for it.

He ran back to Merlin and placed the power stone on top of Merlin's heart. Although it would pain him to have to use it there was no other way.

He pressed the ruby with his palm and felt a surge of wind blow through the building. The ruby began to glow and a blinding light emerged from under Gaius's palm.

Merlin let out a cry of pain when Gaius felt the power surge from him. It travelled from Merlin, through the Ruby and into his body.

Placing his free hand on Merlin's head he yelled:

"_Cneasaithe!"_

Gaius knew immediately that the plan had worked when he saw the blood stop flowing from the wound in the young Warlocks head.

Gaius removed his hand from the stone and quickly removed the power stone from Merlin's chest, and his it beneath his cloak when he heard the sound of hooves galloping towards the house.

When Gaius looked up Arthur came rushing through the door, in his arms he was carrying about a dozen glass vials. "I ...wasn't sure ...which ones... to bring, so I ....brought .....Them all" Arthur explained in gasps.

To keep up appearances Gaius took one of the vials and emptied its contents into Merlin's mouth." That should do the trick" Gaius said. "Look the blood flow is already stopping".

Arthurs POV%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Arthur let out a sigh of relief when he saw that his friend was going to be o.k. .At that moment he noticed that Merlin was coming around. Merlin's eyes opened and he let out a groan while trying to feel the back of his head. "What happened?" asked Merlin weakly.

"That is what I would like to know" I cut in, while staring at the two men. Merlin looked up at me with a mixture of panic and confusion on his face.

Authors Note %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Will Merlin get his powers back? tune in next chapter and all questions will be answered.

Thanks for reading, Laura.

R&R


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin (waaahh!!), all credit to the BBC.

The Hunt for Emrys: Chapter 5

Merlin stared up at the Prince from the ground. His head was pounding and he was still experiencing chills throughout his body. Merlin felt groggy, and something didn't feel right. He was very weak and struggled to keep his eyes open.

"Well?"Exclaimed the prince, "Aren't you going to answer me?, What caused all this?" he asked gesturing to Gaius' ruined house.

"And what in the devil's name happened to you, Merlin?"

Merlin looked from Gaius to Arthur, his mouth hanging open. He was so confused, " what did happen?" he thought to himself.

Merlin gave Gaius, a "give me an excuse" look and Gaius immediately exclaimed :

"uh...well...it was the...the...brotherhood!" .

"Yes, they must have said a powerful spell, because all of a sudden ...the furniture just le...."Gaius never got to finish his sentence because just at that moment, Merlin discreetly kicked him in the shin. "Ow!!"Shouted Gaius, suddenly jerking to rub his shin.

"Yeah, it must have been the brotherhood" Merlin cut in.

"All of a sudden there was a strong, almost supernatural, gust of wind that blew open the door and...And...Threw all of the furniture around the room!"Finished Merlin, urging the prince to believe him. Arthur just looked between the two men strangely.

"Then what happened to you?"Asked Arthur.

"Well...uh... I didn't have any breakfast this morning...maybe I collapsed?" Merlin concluded, looking to Gaius for back up.

"Um, yes, that must have been it" Giaus provided.

"Are you sure that's all Merlin, when I came in here you were shaking and you were so pale..."Arthur said "It looked like some sort of fit".

Merlin responded with the only thing he could think of "Well maybe the furniture hit me in the head, because I don't remember anything".

"Right" Said Arthur in disbelief. "Well, next time Merlin don't be such an idiot"

"I can't have you fainting when we set out to capture Emrys, please remember to eat".

Merlin nodded and supplied with a large grin "of course not Sire, you can't have that".

"Now, sire if you don't mind, I have some cleaning to do" said Gaius.

"Yes, of course, Merlin you stay here and help" answered Arthur before heading back to his men outside.

When Arthur closed the door behind him, both Gaius and Arthur let out a sigh of relief. However, Merlin grimaced in pain and held his side.

"Are you Feeling ok Merlin, and most importantly - why did you kick me?" exclaimed Gaius angrily, while rubbing his leg.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that you were going to say that someone levitated the furniture, I wanted him to think it was an outside force, because levitating involves the sorcerer being in the room. If Arthur had realised that, I would be done for". Explained Merlin.

"Gaius, what really happened?" he continued. "I don't feel normal, somethings wrong"

Gaius waved a hand over a broken chair, and it suddenly transformed into its original state. He had a golden glow in his eyes. Merlin just stood there speechless. "Merlin, please sit down I have something important to tell you" said Gaius, gesturing to the chair.

Several minutes later:

"Gaius, YOU DID WHAT??????????" yelled Merlin.

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Sorry about the short chapter, the next will be longer. I'm just trying to keep the tension going. Thanks for the reviews, they are really inspiring!

Until next time,

Laura (8D) R&R


	6. Chapter 6

The Hunt for Emrys

Sorry for the long wait. I was sick, then I had Easter holiday work and study to do, the list is endless....but finally I found the time to type the next chapter. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, all credit to the BBC

"Merlin, please calm down, you will re open your wound!"Exclaimed Gaius, looking at his nephew with concern.

"You took my MAGIC!!"Yelled Merlin "and you expect me to be calm?"

"How could you do this Gaius, with the brotherhood's deadline so close?" Merlin asked "How can I protect Camelot?" with that Merlin flopped down onto the newly renovated chair.

"It is alright Merlin, the switch is temporary, you will get your magic back, don't worry" explained Gaius.

"You just need to rest for a while, allow your body to heal first. Then hopefully you will be able to handle the transference" He murmured.

"Hopefully?" Merlin exclaimed "that doesn't sound very reassuring Gaius." he said angrily.

"Please tell me you thought this out, I will get my powers back right?"

"If all goes to plan yes, I didn't have time to plan this you know! I was too busy trying to save you!!" Gaius said defensively. "And do I hear a thank you, I think not!"

Merlin was bottling his anger towards Gaius at this stage. His face had grown beetroot red and he was in danger of injuring himself."Please don't start with me Gaius; you know how my magic is my life! How many times have I told you that I would rather die than not practice magic?"

"Please don't talk like that Merlin, I nearly lost you today" Gaius said meekly.

Just then Merlin saw Gaius's true age show itself. He looked old. Old and tired. He had not realised the effect that his magic was having on the old physician's body.

"Don't worry, Gaius, I forgive you. Just don't do it again please" Merlin said quietly

"You look worse than I feel" Merlin said to Gaius. "Why don't you have a lie down? I can clean up and we can talk later".

"I think I will have to do that, your magic is draining me, this body was never meant to handle that much raw power" Gaius said while heading for his bed.

"You should rest Merlin. The sooner you are healed the sooner you can have this power back. And the sooner the better."

* * *

Gaius POV:

Gaius lay on the bed and waited for sleep to take him.

He needed to recover quickly. This switch was not without a cost.

If Merlin does not receive his magic after 48 hours of the transference, it will kill me, and his magic will be lost to him forever.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Sorry about the cliffy! Hope to update soon.

Until next time,

Laura, R&R


	7. Chapter 7

The Hunt for Emrys: Chapter 7

Sorry about the long wait ,I blame impending English exams.

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, all credit to the BBC

Merlin was still getting his head around the fact that his powers were gone. In a way he felt empty. His magic was his life, yes it caused him great trouble since arriving in Camelot but he wouldn't change it for the world.

Merlin gazed around the ruined room and started to gather the broken furniture at his feet. If he only had his magic he could fix it all in the blink of an eye. He sighed and continued his work until the room was spotless.

He finally decided to take Giaus's advise and go to bed. He looked at himself in the mirror that had miraculously remained intact during his magical outburst earlier.

Other than the blood stain that he had been scrubbing vigorously from his shirt, there was no sign of any physical injuries.

"What spell had Giaus used?" he thought to himself.

It must have been very powerful, as healing spells take alot of energy and usually don't heal the entire wound.

He would know, he had tried them many times! How could an old physician heal a near fatal head wound using borrowed magic?

He noticed a slight throbbing at the base of his skull, and reached to rub his head gingerly. He would ask him in the morning. He lay down on his bed and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Brotherhood camp, Forest of Camelot

Under the dark cover of a canopy of high trees, a number of figures dressed in red hooded cloaks stood in a circle mumbling in an ancient language.

As their chanting reached a dramatic climax, they raised their hands into the air, high above their heads. A red mist seemed to seep from the raised limbs of the strange characters.

The previously lively forest became suddenly silent.

The mist rose into the air and suddenly expanded and reached into all directions until it seemed to engulf the entire night sky.

When the chanting stopped the figures lowered their hands and looked adoringly at their creation in the sky.

"It is complete!" Shouted one of the cloaked figures.

As he spoke he lowered his hood.

The other cloaked figures gasped when they saw the appearance of the first man. Although he was not a remarkable man, power seemed to radiate from him.

He had dark raven coloured hair and light blue eyes. His physique was lean and the clothes that he wore under his cloak were handing from his thin frame.

" Judging by your expressions, it has worked" exclaimed the raven haired man.

He looked down at his body and gasped when he saw the changes.

"Oh yes," exclaimed the man with a smile, "indeed it has".

"Emrys refuses to come to us," he said menacingly as a fellow magician handed his leader a hand mirror .

The man turned to his fellow sorcerers and proclaimed,

"he has left us no choice!, So we will force his secret into the open !"

The man grinned evily as he examined his new face in the mirror.

"You do not look how I expected you to" he said to himself , "you are barely a man"

"So this," he said while turning his head from side to side,

"is the image of the infamous Emrys?"

"If you do not reveal your magic to the people of Camelot, I will do it for you!!!!"

Thats all for now, I will update as soon as my exams are over.

Please review, I love your comments!!!!!!!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin; all credit goes to the BBC

**Chapter 8**

When he woke early the next morning, Merlin was feeling much better.

His head was finally clear after the havoc of the last few days. He could still feel a void in his chest, where his magic core was ripped out, but physically he was feeling a great deal stronger. He hoped that Gaius would find him strong enough to give him his magic back.

He felt do weak without it. Just the thought of getting his magic back was making him feel better. He dressed quickly and headed out the door to find Gaius.

Merlin was surprised to see Gaius was not up and about already. Usually the old man could be heard brewing his concoctions or tinkering with some strange herbs from the break of dawn.

Merlin found it strange to hear the house so quiet. He made his way to the old physician's quarters and found him still asleep in his bed.

This was out of character for the old man; he was never one to be late to rise. Merlin moved towards the bed and tried to wake the old man.

Gaius however was not waking. When his efforts proved fruitless, Merlin began to shake his uncle fearing the worst.

"Gaius!...Come on wake up...GIAUS!" he screamed.

"Was my magic too much for the elderly man? Did it kill him?" Merlin said to himself

"Oh Gods, please don't let him be dead!"

After what felt like an eternity, Gaius' eyes flickered open.

"What...Merlin?" he groaned glancing up at Merlin with tired eyes.

At this development Merlin let out a sigh and thanked the Gods that his uncle was still alive.

"Oh Gaius! bloody hell you scared me. I thought you might be...dead!" Merlin exclaimed frantically.

"I'm afraid I have not snuffed it yet Merlin"

Gaius said meekly.

Merlin immediately sensed that something was wrong. "Gaius, are you feeling alright?"He asked. Merlin noticed that his uncle was finding it difficult to keep his eyes open.

"I think your...m...magic is depleting my energy. I feel so weak" Gaius explained meekly. "Do you feel strong enough to take your magic back?"Gaius asked. Merlin had to refrain from screaming out 'for the love of the Gods, yes!' and instead settled for "do you really need to ask, Gaius?"

"Ok, Merlin. Here...is...what...I need you...to do" Gaius gasped, growing increasingly weaker. "Go to the ...book shelf ...by the door and bring me... the book entitled 'Herbal Recipes' and..."

"Gaius, is this the right time to be thinking about your work?" Merlin interrupted.

"Just do what I say Merlin!" Gaius wheezed. Gaius managed to slap Merlin on the arm, despite his condition. "Ow!" Merlin complained "Ok, Ok just don't do that again!, I will bruise like a peach without my magic!".Gaius chuckled at this but Merlin knew he needed to act quickly, so he stopped messing around.

Merlin hurried to the book stand and scanned the shelves for the title Gaius had told him. When he found it he rushed the small leather bound book to his uncle, who looked like he was on the verge of collapse. "Open it" he instructed from the bed.

Merlin did as he was told and opened the book to find a small red stone mounted on a golden chain resting in a hollow carved from the pages of the book. Carefully Merlin removed the delicate object from its hollow and stared at it in awe. It was one of the most beautiful pieces he had ever seen. The stone was the colour of blood and Merlin could have sworn he saw movement within the shiny gemstone.

"Place it here" Gaius explained, pointing to the area over his heart.

"When you are ready... reciting a healing spell... with your fingers interlaced in... the... gold chain, and whatever you do, Merlin... Do...not ...let...go" the old man exclaimed between breaths.

Merlin realised he did not have much time and started to recite the spell to transfer his powers back. He carefully wound the chain loosely around his fingers. He realised the spell was working when the red stone began to turn gold.

Merlin let out a relieved sigh when he realised that the whole ordeal was over. In just a few moments he would have his magic back and Gaius would recover.

Just then there was a loud explosion in the courtyard below. The ground shook beneath his feet, as the commotion started outside.

"Merlin!" a voice screamed from outside. The screams coming from the courtyard were increasing by the second.

Merlin just stared at the door with a puzzled look on this face.

He had no idea why someone had screamed his name. This however, was not the most puzzling aspect of the commotion .What confused Merlin the most was that the scream was one of pure terror and hatred.

He was about to go and investigate when he realised that the transfer was not complete yet, the stone was still glowing, indicating that magic was still travelling through the object. Gaius had warned him not to let go too early. While the sound screaming continued on the ground below, Merlin waited for the stone to return to its original blood red colour before removing the stone from Gaius' chest and placing it back inside the book. The process was complete but Gaius had passed out from the strain on his body. Merlin hoped he would recover after what his magic had done to his uncle.

He rushed to the window to see the damage for himself. When he reached the window, Merlin gasped. The courtyard was in ruins.

Cobbles were scattered everywhere, it seemed they had been ripped from the ground during the explosion.

Bodies were lying lifeless and bloodied on the ground and those who were not injured were crying and running from the scene.

He felt a strange sensation in the air and looked down towards its source. The explosion had been magical.

'Great!' thought Merlin 'just more ammunition for Uther to use against magic users'. The figures standing in the centre of the courtyard immediately drew Merlin's attention. There were about a dozen cloaked people standing in the centre of the chaos.

"The brotherhood!" Merlin immediately thought.

The figures were all facing away from Merlin, their attention was upon the division of knights that had gathered by the exit, armed and poised to attack. At their head was Arthur. Arthur however, did not look his confident, cocky self. His face was drawn and there was a look of pure hatred in his eyes.

"Why did you do it?" Arthur suddenly exclaimed from his position in front of the knights. "How could you!" he screamed. Who ever had just blown up the courtyard, Merlin had gathered that they were a member of the brotherhood and Arthur seemed to know them. The figure dressed in a long cloak facing Arthur, had his hood down. All Merlin could see was the back of his raven haired head.

"Who was this man?" Merlin thought, "did I know him too?"

"Merlin!" screamed Arthur "I trusted you!"

Now Merlin was really confused. Why was Arthur screaming his name?

The raven haired man stepped further forward and said "And what a fool you were to do so, sire"

Merlin felt a chill run down his spine. "Did that man just speak using my voice?" Merlin thought to himself "That was definitely my voice? Was someone trying to play some sick game here?"

Almost to confirm Merlin's question the figure turned and looked behind him towards his fellow sorcerers. When Merlin saw the man's face he had to stop himself from yelling in shock. The man Arthur was screaming at was him; or rather the man had his appearance.

Merlin gasped at the implications of this horrible trick. People know about his magic, Arthur hated him, and people would think he attacked a yard full of innocent people. People will think he is evil!

Arthurs yelling brought Merlin out of his partial panic attack. "Men!" yelled Arthur "Attack!"

"But leave the traitor to me!"

As the knights rushed forwards, His doppelganger raised his right hand in the air and with a snap of his fingers, he and his entire brotherhood vanished.

Arthur and his men stopped abruptly when they realised their enemy had disappeared. Arthur shouted in frustration and Merlin heard a loud clang, as the angry prince threw his favourite sword to the ground in frustration.

Just as Merlin was planning on how he should proceed. A shout from the yard below drew his attention.

"Sire, he's up there!" yelled a knight. He was pointing straight at him.

Before Merlin could react, an arrow was fired straight towards him. He managed to freeze it just in time and made it fall to the floor. "Oh, bollocks" screamed Merlin out loud when he realised that he had used his magic in public.

As Merlin gazed in horror at the scene unfolding in front of him, he heard Arthur's angry voice from the yard below; "Catch that traitor!"

Then Merlin did the only thing he could think of: run for his life.

Sorry about the long wait! On the plus side I'm now on summer holidays so I can post more often!

Please review, I do love reviews!

What do you all think so far?Please tell me

Until next time, Laura


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry guys for the long wait. I was working abroad for the summer months. Anyway, here is the next instalment, hope you enjoy.

Chapter 9

Merlin ran through the corridors of the castle as fast as his legs would carry him. He was in a state of pure panic .Not only did Arthur know his secret, but he believed he had used it to attack Camelot! His eyes began to sting as he ran, holding back tears whilst trying to decide where to go next. He had to get out of the castle, and quickly. He could hear the shouts of Arthur's men coming from behind him. They were two floors down rushing to capture him at this very moment.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Merlin said as he ducked down a corridor. A thousand thoughts raced through his head, as the footsteps of the knights edged closer and closer. "I could confront them" thought Merlin. "I have my magic, I can fight" he thought." Oh, but they have those huge swords" sighed Merlin. "Oh, what am I going to do!". Whilst Merlin was running, he remembered a great place where he could hide. The dragons empty cavern. At least, down there he could think. Merlin ran for the entrance of the cavern and stumbled down the steep steps. When he got to the bottom of the ledge he crouched in the dark corner, as the tears overwhelmed him.

Arthur was leading the search for Merlin. He had his Knights searching the entire castle and grounds for the traitor. "Merlin? How could he be a sorcerer?.Skinny, clumsy, blundering Merlin?" It didn't make sense. How could is servant be a murderer?". The prince was drawn out of his thoughts when he saw one of his knights approaching him. "Sire," said the knight, "we have searched the castle and we have found no trace of the sorcerer." Arthur shook his head. He knew this would not be good enough for this father. He would have to report to the King straight away. "Keep searching" he ordered the knight as he continued to the throne room.

He found his father pacing the room impatiently when he entered. When he saw Arthur he immediately asked: "Have you found him?" Arthur looked at the ground when he answered "no father, he has evaded us so far". "How could this have happened, Arthur?.Your own servant, did you not notice his sorcery. He must have been performing spells for months. All those creatures attacking, those strange anomalies, they were all his doing!.We must find him, and bring him to justice!"

"I will not stop until he is caught sire" answered Arthur. "And another thing, I want you to arrest Gaius. That old healer, must have magic as well, he has been hiding the evil of that boy"

"But father, we have no evidence-"started Arthur. "Do not question me Arthur, do as I say!"

"Yes father" Arthur exclaimed.

"And another thing" , added the King "I want the army ready to move out tomorrow."

"For what purpose?" asked the prince.

Uther glared at his son, as if he was simple

"To move upon Ealdor of course". That sorcerer's town has hidden him all these years, they have committed treason, and they need to be punished"

"Come tomorrow morning, Camelot will be at war with Ealdor" exclaimed the king.

Arthur stared in disbelief at his father. He had to find a way to save that village. He knew for a fact they were a good people. He had to stop his father.

Please R&R!

I will update soon


	10. Chapter 10

Hi Guys, here is the next chapter! Happy New Year!

Thanks for all the reviews and alerts!

Review please!

Merlin crouched in the corner where he was hiding and placed his head in his hands.

"Oh, No, no, no what am I going to do?"

The entire Kingdom would be searching for him at this stage. He needed to get out of Camelot fast but he had to see Arthur first.

Although the thought terrified him, he had to explain what had just happened. Merlin rose to try and find Arthur when he heard a new commotion from upstairs.

He reached the door and peered in the direction of the noise.

The Knights had assembled and Arthur was leading them. He was explaining their objective.

"Knights of Camelot!" Roared Arthur.

"The time has come to avenge the attack waged on us by a traitor of this kingdom!".

At this the Knights all cheered in approval. "Today, we attack Ealdor!" Finished the prince.

"This town has been a breeding ground for enemies of the Kingdom, it will be set right!"

"Yes, this mere village lies outside our boundaries, but we shall risk war for this noble quest!"

Merlin stood at the door. All colour drained from his face when he heard the knights target.

He could not let this happen.

Those people are innocent, he would not allow them to be slaughtered just because of one horrible misunderstanding. "No" whispered Merlin, as he left his hiding place.

"No!" Merlin repeated louder so that people would hear him. There were gasps as he made his way forward towards the knights. "You can't do this!" shouted Merlin.

"Who dares cross me?" shouted Arthur from his place in front of the knights.

"It's me, Arthur, your humble servant. The man who would never, do anything to hurt you.

I did not commit any crime against Camelot; you have no right to attack my home!" Merlin shouted, with a level of force behind his voice he didn't know he had.

The crowd parted and let the young sorcerer pass directly through the courtyard to the prince.

"You!" roared Arthur, drawing his sword.

"I thought you were my friend, but all this time you have been plotting against the kingdom!"

" No, you have been fooled Arthur!"Replied Merlin "that person who attacked you was not me!"

"He is a powerful sorcerer who wished to frame me, believe me Arthur, I would never do anything to harm Camelot".

"So, do you deny you are a sorcerer?" The Prince questioned.

Merlin took a deep breath and answered; " No, I am indeed a sorcerer, but not the one who attacked this Kingdom"

All was quiet in the courtyard as this news sank in. Merlin looked to the prince and tried one last time to convince him of his loyalty.

"Arthur... please, you must-" .Merlin however was stopped short by the arrow that shot from the knights straight through his chest.

Merlin groaned and clutched his chest as he collapsed on the cobbles. As Merlin struggled to breathe as he looked up to see the face of his attacker. As his world started to blur, Merlin could just make out the face of the King of Camelot. Then his world went dark.

Uthers POV:

Uther Pendragon grinned and lowered the bow he had snatched from a nearby sorcerer was dead.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, the BBC does.

Sorry for the delay, here is the next chapter:

_Merlin groaned and clutched his chest as he collapsed on the cobbles. As Merlin struggled to breathe as he looked up to see the face of his attacker. As his world started to blur, Merlin could just make out the face of the King of Camelot. Then his world went dark._

Arthur's POV:

I stared at the scene in front of me. Merlin, the newly discovered sorcerer Merlin, was lying seemingly dead on the cobbles. This was too much to believe. His heart was torn in two directions. He felt relief that the danger to his kingdom was gone, but Merlin was dead.

This sorcerer lying on the cobbles before him and Merlin, his clueless man-servant seemed like two different beings. How could this scrawny boy cause so much upheaval in just a few days? The mere thought of Merlin and sorcery even being in the same sentence was insane, but how could he possibly deny it, the stupid idiot had just confessed to being a sorcerer in front of the entire population of Camelot. He might as well have signed his own death warrant there and then.

Arthur shook his head in frustration. Why was he trying to justify Merlin's very existence in Camelot. He was a sorcerer, and evil being who manipulates nature itself to achieve his own goals- at least that is what he was told. Could he possibly be wrong?

Merlin had always been the idiot, the trustworthy idiot, but never a murderer.

Maybe there was some truth to what his servant had said. Was there another sorcerer in Camelot? If so, that would explain the strange happenings of late? Merlin would never have attacked his home like that. That had to be it, now he had to convince his father of the same.

Arthur suddenly snapped out of his musings when he realised that Merlin was dead. Shot dead by his own father.

Without thinking of the implications, Arthur ran forward to the figure sprawled out on the ground in front of him. He dropped to his knees and rolled Merlin over onto his back. Arthur was never the best at healing, and had no idea how to help is friend, that is if he were even alive anymore. He crouched down to Merlin's face and listened for sounds of breathing.

"There! "Arthur yelled aloud, "He's still breathing, he's alive!"

The entire population of the courtyard stared at the young prince. His father approached him slowly. "Son, what are you doing?" Uther asked " This man is a traitor, he does not deserve your help"

Arthur proceeded to tell his father his own suspicions of what had happened, and that Merlin was innocent.

Uther just stared into the distance when Arthur had finished. Arthur took this as a good sign. "Gaius!" yelled Arthur on the top of his lungs. 'Where was that man when you needed him?' the prince thought to himself. "Merlin needs help, quickly Gaius!" Arthur yelled again, searching the courtyard for the familiar physicians face.

As Arthur was about to send a group of knights to sweep the castle in search of the old man, his father grabbed his arm. "Stop this at once Arthur!" exclaimed Uther. "What you are attempting to do at this very moment is treason- take one more step to help this criminal and you will be banished!"

Arthur rounded on his father, in a state of shock. 'Why are you doing this?' Arthur thought to himself

'Merlin is innocent, the real sorcerer is out there somewhere, and he had framed Merlin!'

"You can't be serious!" replied Arthur. He was torn. Merlin had grown to be his best friend. He trusted him. Arthur thought long and hard about what he was going to do next.

"Very well, Father" exclaimed Arthur as he walked away his injured friend.

"Excellent, now we have rid the kingdom of the sorcerer that betrayed it, Arthur, I believe this calls for a feast!"Exclaimed Uther, with joy in his voice. The very sound made Arthur feel ill.

"A fine choice father, but I think you misheard me" Arthur replied as he grabbed the reigns of his stallion.

"What was that?" the king turned to face his son.

"I said, that you misheard, me. I intend to help my friend, sorcerer or not, he has been a good friend to me" Arthur replied. As he spoke Arthur lifted his injured friend from the ground and laid him gently over the back of his horse.

"You will have to banish me father, because Merlin will live!" Arthur yelled.

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Uther's POV

Uther stood in front of his son, totally astounded. Had he misheard, or was his son really betraying his kingdom?

"Arthur, you are being foolish. Do you know the consequences that will follow, if you leave with that abomination you call your friend?" Uther asked

"I know very well father, and at this point in time, Merlin is my number one priority. I will make you see father, that you were wrong" With that Arthur mounted his horse, made sure Merlin was secure behind him, and rode out through the gates of the castle.

Uther stood in silence, utterly stunned by what his son had done. Uther realised that his son had just made him look weak in front of his subjects. That was unacceptable. Without batting an eyelid, the King exclaimed:

"Knights, after them immediately! Bring my son back here in chains, and kill that sorcerer!"

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Ok, guys I will try and update this as soon as possible, but I have exams that are fast approaching, and a very empty brain, so this fic might have to take a back seat for a while. On a lighter note, I'm at home for the whole summer this year, so have plenty of time to write then!

Please R&R. It makes my day,

Thanks!


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